Signs your next lesson is going to be a good one

[LiquidFeet]

Tell all!

 

[markojp]

Morning private, arrives with a pair of carvers and a pair of all mountain skis. They're very clear that they want to spend 1.5- 2 hours on high performance piste turns, then head off piste for the last hour to 1.5 off piste. We had a great 'part one' and made some nice changes to correct some hip dumping and work from the feet and some rate and timing stuff. Off piste, the question was, "what do I do differently?" Chalky, cut up crud... "Nothing. Just take a moment to visualize your line." We ski the first pitch. "Wow! That was really easy!"

But that said, the best lessons are the ones that have a high potential for failure (crazy splits, a guest who arrives out of sorts or fearful, etc.., ) and ends up succeeding wildly.

 

[KevinF]

I only taught for one season, but nothing made me happier than my student(s) telling me that they have a background in skating. Ice skating, roller skating, didn't matter.

Yeah, you're good... You don't need me.

 

[Philpug]

They saw a bootfitter first and got set up in properly fitting boots.

 

[Lorenzzo]

At DV it's the client leading off with: "So I made us lunch reservations at Stein's."

 

[Carl Kuck]

At DV it's the client leading off with: "So I made us lunch reservations at Stein's."

Didn't I do that?

 

[Lorenzzo]

Didn't I do that?

It was a nice gesture. The way he moved around that buffet I'm guessing he'd been there before.

 

[David Chaus]

So, I two weeks ago I had a private with a friend's BF, he's in his late 40's or early 50's, he has been reluctant to take lessons since he's hearing impaired. He has been injured twice in the last 2 years while skiing, as he's somewhat fearless. He hikes and is in good physical shape.

The first thing I do is demonstrate boot-only drills, to introduce how I'm going to indicate "edging" "rotary" and "pressure." He gets it. I ask what he's comfortable skiing; while he's been on a few blue runs he feels more secure on the beginner chair, so we head there. After booting up, we have to go uphill a little to get in the lift line, so I demonstrate the edging and rotary and forward motion required to herringbone up to the line. He says "Oh, I've always wanted to learn how to do that." That was the indication it was going to be a great lesson.

He got everything I showed him, got his fore-aft weight balanced, moving to the outside ski, nailed open parallel turns and then we worked on some stance, inclination/angulation, and starting the turns by just releasing the edges and letting the skis seek the fall line. He got it, no stemming, no wedge initiation, more confidence, clean round turns, much more dynamic turns. We moved to intermediate terrain and he continued to progress. We went through a progression that normally take a few weeks, but he was able to move through it quickly. Very satisfying lesson.

 

[Jilly]

When your student (beginner) asked how long does it take to get from top to bottom.....

 

[Monique]

At DV it's the client leading off with: "So I made us lunch reservations at Stein's."

Well, as long as they don't expect you to pay for it! (I assume. I'm not familiar with that particular spot. But I remember DV food being veddy veddy good.)

 

[Yo Momma]

When the instructor separates you from the group at the end of the lesson and says, " Hey, come w/ me..... I wanna show you something cool! ....... and then you promptly duck past a sign that says Danger Extreme Terrain " .............Happened @ Grand Targhee............ unforgettable experience there!

 

[Monique]

From a student perspective - When it's dumped 8" overnight, and your group meets before the lift starts to make sure you get to as much pow as possible. (Damn that was a good day. We kept hitting rope drops. Not much actual teaching, I'll admit.)

 

[Yo Momma]

From a student perspective - When it's dumped 8" overnight, and your group meets before the lift starts to make sure you get to as much pow as possible. (Damn that was a good day. We kept hitting rope drops. Not much actual teaching, I'll admit.)

That's a GOOD day!

 

[David Chaus]

From a student perspective - When it's dumped 8" overnight, and your group meets before the lift starts to make sure you get to as much pow as possible. (Damn that was a good day. We kept hitting rope drops. Not much actual teaching, I'll admit.)

Seems like you learned to hit rope drops. Not a bad lesson.

 

[Crank]

Took a powder clinic at Jay Peak one time because I wanted to ski trees in a foot of fresh but I didn't like the idea of skiing in the woods by myself. Knew it was gonna be good when they first asked if I liked to ski fast and then put me in a group that was 3 instructors and 1 other customer. We immediately headed out of bounds and ripped fresh tracks there all morning long. Not much teaching that day but everyone sure learned how to grin.

 

[Carl Kuck]

Well, as long as they don't expect you to pay for it! (I assume. I'm not familiar with that particular spot. But I remember DV food being veddy veddy good.)

Best buffet on the planet, and I've been to a bunch of them. I always try to tip my instructors for private lesson... And, yes, Lance had been there before - with me in fact!

 

[Chris V.]

[W]e worked on...starting the turns by just releasing the edges and letting the skis seek the fall line.

I don't really have a comment. I just like to call attention to this whenever I see it mentioned.

 

[Chris V.]

When you ask a second time student to put on skis and climb the little slope to the magic carpet or chairlift, and the student is really good at side stepping. That shows solid fundamental skills and understanding.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

"I have never alpine skied before, but I was on my HS Varsity XC ski team".

 

[Monique]

I don't really have a comment. I just like to call attention to this whenever I see it mentioned.

I have worked on this (releasing to allow the turn) literally all season, and it is still so hard to do. The urge to make something happen is almost insurmountable. The temptation to tip using feet while my body is aligned too far up the hill is also pretty hard to defeat.